North America/US - Page 160
Law knowledge gap delays drone use in Virginia
After a two-year moratorium ended this week on the use of drones in Virginia, law enforcement are said to be still studying the laws and refining piloting skills before they start using the devices in the air.
Law firm sues Las Vegas casino over $3.4m spent by ex-managing partner
Property boutique Morris Schneider Wittstadt is suing the Cosmopolitan casino hotel for return of the funds which ex-managing partner Nathan Hardwick IV paid to it but which, says the firm, the casino should not have accepted.
Clients blamed for driving firm to verge of bankruptcy
A 92-year old leading New Jersey foreclosure firm which posted $30m in gross revenue last year has given notice it could close in August - and other firms are saying that bank clients made it impossible for the firm to survive.
Name partner of 9/11 firm ordered to repay $415k
Paul Napoli of Manhattan-based Napoli Bern - which acted for many 9/11 victims - has been ordered to repay 'every last pencil' and all the money he has been ruled by a judge to have taken from the firm in violation of a receivership order.
Litigators in demand for rest of 2015 in US legal heartland
Litigators - particularly those specialising in insurance defence - will be in short supply and therefore in greater demand for H2 2015 in the New York, New Jersey area, according to Robert Half recruitment consultants.
Dentons rises to US top tier as McKenna Long merger is sealed
Dentons and McKenna Long & Aldridge have formally merged their practices, combining to produce a team of 1,100 lawyers across 21 US offices.
California shake-up continues as Mitchell Silberberg combines with boutique
Los Angeles-based Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, well-known for its entertainment and new media practice, is to become a 130-lawyer firm on Wednesday when it merges with Richardson Patel.
BigLaw firm sets up marijuana group
Davis Wright Tremaine, the 500-lawyer US law firm with a branch in Shanghai, is launching a marijuana practice in its Portland office, to coincide with the legalisation of the drug for recreational use in Oregon state this week.
New Jersey foreclosure law firm to shut with loss of 300 jobs
Only five weeks after the loss of 700 jobs at Butler & Hosch, New Jersey-based Zucker, Goldberg & Ackerman has issued a layoff notice that signals the end of the practice and 289 posts.
US law firms increase spend on IT
US law firms appear to be spending more on technology - with most of them aiming to improve quality, client service and productivity, according to experts.
Drone sector could be stifled by proposed US safety bill
A Consumer Drone Safety Act could suffocate the development of a sector expected to deliver over 100,000 jobs in the next decade, according to specialist lawyers.
Young partners wobble under weight of funding retired partner pensions
Even the best-financed US law firms are aware of a looming problem: the financing of generous partner pensions, which can start at $250,000 per year in some practices.
Fashion industry gets academic programme in New York
Fashion law has been officially recognised at Fordham University, New York as it launches a postgraduate degree in the subject.
GCs no longer at the helm of compliance and ethics
Chief ethics and compliance officers are increasingly reporting to the CEO or board of directors and not the general counsel, according to new research.
Jury acquits in first US unlawful surveillance case involving a drone
A professional video-maker at rock concerts had faced a sentence of up to a year in jail if found guilty in a New York state court of second-degree attempted unlawful surveillance - by filming a medical centre.
GC doubles predictability of legal spend in transformation plan
VMWare, the cloud services business, saved US$2.8b in 2014, improved staff retention and cut legal spend by 25 per cent as a proportion of revenue as a result of a three-year transformation programme.
Lawyers attend New York mindfulness event
Some 80 lawyers recently attended a mindfulness event at the Garrison Institute which is dedicated to contemplation, action and transformation - a sign of a growing desire among some lawyers to reduce stress and connect better with the natural world.
IP boutiques suffer in the US while larger firms grow teams
Corporate counsel behaviour - particularly a new willingness to settle and to accept calculated risks - is leading to fewer patent cases that get fought to the end and, therefore, less work for specialist boutiques, according to BTI Consulting.
M&A energy pipeline in US looks strong despite oil price slump, says Norton Rose
M&A activity looks likely to increase in Q3 as companies begin reorganisations, according to William Wood, head of energy and infrastructure for Norton Rose Fulbright in the US.
Litigation lawyers describe the personal damage of handling disputes
A specialist in running happy, functional law practices who has spoken to lawyers 'across the US' has found particular problems amongst litigators who tend to share the 'sentiment that litigation is generally a lose-lose proposition'.